ATLANTA (NewsNation) — Former first lady Rosalynn Carter, the wife of 39th President Jimmy Carter, died Sunday at her home at the age of 96, according to a release from the Carter Center.
The former first lady was battling dementia as both she and President Carter received hospice care at their home in Plains, Georgia.
The Carters were married for 77 years and remained together in the same small town where they were born, married and that anchored Jimmy Carter’s victorious 1976 presidential campaign.
“Rosalynn was my equal partner in everything I ever accomplished,” President Carter said. “She gave me wise guidance and encouragement when I needed it. As long as Rosalynn was in the world, I always knew somebody loved and supported me.”
She is survived by her children — Jack, Chip, Jeff and Amy — and 11 grandchildren and 14 great-grandchildren. A grandson died in 2015.
“Besides being a loving mother and extraordinary first lady, my mother was a great humanitarian in her own right,” said Chip Carter. “Her life of service and compassion was an example for all Americans. She will be sorely missed not only by our family but by the many people who have better mental health care and access to resources for caregiving today.”
FILE – Former President Jimmy Carter, left, and his wife, former first lady Rosalynn Carter, are seen ahead of an NFL football game between the Atlanta Falcons and the Cincinnati Bengals, Sept. 30, 2018, in Atlanta. Rosalynn Carter, the closest adviser to Jimmy Carter during his one term as U.S. president and their four decades thereafter as global humanitarians, died Sunday, Nov. 19, 2023. She was 96. (AP Photo/John Bazemore, File) 
FILE – Former President Jimmy Carter, right, and his wife, former first lady Rosalynn Carter, hold hands as they walk from a state funeral for former President George H.W. Bush at the National Cathedral, Dec. 5, 2018, in Washington. Rosalynn Carter, the closest adviser to Jimmy Carter during his one term as U.S. president and their four decades thereafter as global humanitarians, died Sunday, Nov. 19, 2023. She was 96. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster, File) 
FILE – Former President Jimmy Carter, left, and his wife, former first lady Rosalynn Carter, right, sit together ahead of an NFL football game between the Atlanta Falcons and the Cincinnati Bengals, Sept. 30, 2018, in Atlanta. Rosalynn Carter, the closest adviser to Jimmy Carter during his one term as U.S. president and their four decades thereafter as global humanitarians, died Sunday, Nov. 19, 2023. She was 96. (AP Photo/John Amis, File) 
FILE – Jimmy Carter, second from left, receives a hug from his wife, Rosalynn Carter, after the third presidential debate ended, Oct. 22, 1976, in Williamsburg, Va. First lady Betty Ford, center, and moderator Barbara Walters, right, can be seen in the background. Rosalynn Carter, the closest adviser to Jimmy Carter during his one term as U.S. president and their four decades thereafter as global humanitarians, died Sunday, Nov. 19, 2023. She was 96. (AP Photo, File) 
FILE – Former first lady Rosalynn Carter makes phone calls to voters at the campaign headquarters on behalf of her son, Jack Carter, a Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate, Oct. 3, 2006, in Las Vegas. Rosalynn Carter, the closest adviser to Jimmy Carter during his one term as U.S. president and their four decades thereafter as global humanitarians, died Sunday, Nov. 19, 2023. She was 96. (AP Photo/Laura Rauch, File) 
FILE – Former President Jimmy Carter, right, and his wife, former first lady Rosalynn Carter, wave to the audience at the Democratic National Convention in Denver, Aug. 25, 2008. Rosalynn Carter, the closest adviser to Jimmy Carter during his one term as U.S. president and their four decades thereafter as global humanitarians, died Sunday, Nov. 19, 2023. She was 96. (AP Photo/Ron Edmonds, File) 
FILE – Former first lady Rosalynn Carter answers questions during a news conference at a Habitat for Humanity building site, Nov. 2, 2015, in Memphis, Tenn. Carter, the closest adviser to Jimmy Carter during his one term as U.S. president and their four decades thereafter as global humanitarians, has died at the age of 96. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey, File) 
FILE – President Jimmy Carter, right, and his wife, first lady Rosalynn Carter, lead their guests in dancing at the annual Congressional Christmas Ball, Dec. 13, 1978, at the White House in Washington. Rosalynn Carter, the closest adviser to Jimmy Carter during his one term as U.S. president and their four decades thereafter as global humanitarians, died Sunday, Nov. 19, 2023. She was 96. (AP Photo/Ira Schwarz, File) 
FILE – President Jimmy Carter, right; his wife Rosalynn Carter, left; and their daughter Amy, center, during a reception for the Democratic National Committee at the White House in Washington, Jan. 21, 1977. Former first lady Rosalynn Carter, the closest adviser to Jimmy Carter during his one term as U.S. president and their four decades thereafter as global humanitarians, has died at the age of 96. (AP Photo/Peter Bregg, File) 
FILE – First lady Rosalynn Carter, left, and daughter Amy leave the White House in Washington, March 26, 1978, for a violin suburban Virginia. Carter, the closest adviser to Jimmy Carter during his one term as U.S. president and their four decades thereafter as global humanitarians, has died at the age of 96. (AP Photo, File) 
FILE – This photo provided by the White House is the official portrait of first lady Rosalynn Carter in the Vermeil Room of the White House, Feb. 18, 1977. Carter, the closest adviser to Jimmy Carter during his one term as U.S. president and their four decades thereafter as global humanitarians, died Sunday, Nov. 19, 2023. She was 96. (The White House via AP, File) 
FILE – Former first lady Rosalynn Carter speaks during a news conference at The Carter Center, Nov. 5, 2019, in Atlanta. Carter, the closest adviser to Jimmy Carter during his one term as U.S. president and their four decades thereafter as global humanitarians, has died at the age of 96. (AP Photo/Ron Harris, File) 
FILE – Former President Jimmy Carter, right, holds hands with his wife, former first lady Rosalynn Carter, as they work with other volunteers on site, Aug. 27, 2018, in Mishawaka, Ind. Rosalynn Carter, the closest adviser to Jimmy Carter during his one term as U.S. president and their four decades thereafter as global humanitarians, died Sunday, Nov. 19, 2023. She was 96. (Robert Franklin/South Bend Tribune via AP, File) 
FILE – Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter and his wife, former first lady Rosalynn Carter, sit together during a reception to celebrate their 75th wedding anniversary, July 10, 2021, in Plains, Ga. Rosalynn Carter, the closest adviser to Jimmy Carter during his one term as U.S. president and their four decades thereafter as global humanitarians, died Sunday, Nov. 19, 2023. She was 96. (AP Photo/John Bazemore, Pool, File) 
FILE – Georgia Gov.-elect Jimmy Carter and his wife, Rosalynn Carter, celebrate his election win, Nov. 3, 1970, in Atlanta. Rosalynn Carter, the closest adviser to Jimmy Carter during his one term as U.S. president and their four decades thereafter as global humanitarians, died Sunday, Nov. 19, 2023. She was 96. (Billy Downs/Atlanta Journal-Constitution via AP, File)
“With heavy hearts my family and I inform you of my grandmother’s passing,” said her grandson Jason Carter. “One of the greatest legacies she leaves behind is The Carter Center, and her work there would not have been possible without you. She has been grateful for your support of her remarkable efforts to improve the welfare of people everywhere, whether by working to eradicate diseases, reducing the stigma of mental illnesses, or bringing peace to far corners of the world. Thank you for your continued partnership.”
The former first lady spent decades advocating public health policy.
Since her husband was Georgia governor in the early 1970s, she called for a more comprehensive American health care system treating mental health as integral to overall health and recognizing the importance of caregivers to the nation’s social and economic well-being.
“Her incredible ability is to both look at a problem from the need for policy changes, and to think about the individual who lives next door or down the street and is struggling,” Jennifer Olsen, who leads the Rosalynn Carter Institute told the Associated Press.
Olsen noted the former first lady has pushed multiple U.S. administrations to establish an office within the Department of Health and Human Services dedicated exclusively to advocating for caregivers.
The office develops specific programs to aid caregivers and analyzes all public policy — from tax provisions to labor rules and regulations — through the vantage point of people caring for loved ones.
In recent months the couple’s four children, and many grandchildren and great-grandchildren, had been a near-constant presence at the Plains compound.
Close friends and some extended family also have visited, as the couple seems to defy their age and conditions, even attending the Plains’ Independence Day fireworks display in July.
Rosalynn Carter was the second-oldest presidential spouse in U.S. history.
Bess Truman died at 97 in 1982, the year after the Carters left the White House. The Carters were the longest-married first couple in history, having marked their 77th wedding anniversary in July.
The schedule of memorial events and funeral ceremonies has yet to be announced.
To sign the official online condolence book, please visit RosalynnCarterTribute.org.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
